Why You Do Not have Killer Abs or that 6 Pack Abdominal Muscle
April 20, 2008
Ask any woman what is the most attractive part of a male body and most of the time, they will tell you it’s the six pack abs, meaning that your abdominal muscle showing up with beautiful definition. Your abs is considered by many as a sexy muscle and is a symbol of a fit and healthy man. Women are instinctively drawn towards a man brimming with health and fitness because it is a primitive indication that the man is strong enough to protect her and her brood. A rippling six pack abs is one such indication. So is it any wonder that in every gym, you will see men of all ages doing crunches, leg raisers and sit ups religiously in the hope of obtaining the much coveted killer abs? Unfortunately, most men will never get to see their abdominal muscle in its glorious splendor. Why? The following fitness tip will show you why.
Samurai Swords and The Swordsmiths
April 20, 2008
Back in the early times of sword manufacture, the production of super strong high-grade carbon steel wasn’t even a vague dream. But we know, as history has taught us, that sword makers of ancient times still managed to produce superb quality, strong weapons.
So just how was this possible all those hundreds of years ago? How did these ancient swordmakers manage to craft weapons of such high-quality? What was the secret to this skill of taking poor quality ore and turning it into the finest quality steel blades? Well, it seems the process of Japanese samurai swords making was an highly advanced artform. It wasn’t as simple as casting a sword shape with molten steel and sharpening an edge. What the swords makers would do was to hammer the heated and softened steel flat, and fold it over and hammer it flat again, and repeat this process over and over, maybe by upto as much as thirty times.
Have You Played Chicago Golf Courses?
April 19, 2008
When most people think of Chicago, they usually think of a big city, lots of tall buildings, maybe Oprah. That’s accurate, but did you know that Chicago is the home to dozens of golf courses?
Chicago was designed as "Urbs in Horto", the City in the park. There are plenty of golf courses in Chicago for all skill levels, from beginners to championship level golfers. Here are several courses to consider:
Chicago Park District Golf Courses
The Chicago Park District has 6 golf courses, 3 driving ranges and 2 miniature golf courses. Jackson Park Golf Course was the city’s first public golf course. This 18-hole course has mature trees lining the fairways. The Sydney R. Marovitz Golf Course, formerly Waveland, is a 9-hole course right on Chicago’s lakefront in Lincoln Park. The Chicago Park District’s newest course is Robert A. Black, a 9-hole course. This challenging 2,339 yard, par 33 layout was designed by the renowned Dick Nugent. For more information, go to http://www.cpdgolf.com/
Cook County Forest Preserve Golf Courses
Discover How Yoga Will Help You Reach Your Goals ? Part 2
April 19, 2008
At this point, let’s break down the major components of a typical Hatha Yoga session, and see how each one will enable you to reach your goals. There are nine main styles of Yoga in India, but most of the popular styles, outside of India, are variations of Hatha Yoga. Hatha Yoga classes tend, among other things, to emphasize physical mastery.
Asanas are the physical postures, but depending upon the class, the postures may be held for different durations, such as: A half breath (an exhale or inhale), a few breaths, or a few minutes. Some classes are very active, with flowing movement, heated studios up to 105 degrees Fahrenheit, and others are tranquil at around 70 degrees Fahrenheit, all year long.
So there is a style of Yoga for every person, and you should be aware of what you are getting into before you start. You should also be aware that the doors are not locked, and if 105 degrees is too much heat, it is your call.
This past summer, in Arizona, a number of people died, due to excessive heat. If your body temperature reaches 105 degrees, you could possibly have heat stroke. What is your natural climate like? Please know your temperature tolerance and know that people are different.
Wise Up and Invest in Your Workout Success - Six Top Fitness Faux Pas
April 18, 2008
Already dedicated exercisers make small but costly mistakes regularly in their workouts, and one tiny change can have a huge impact on their results. Time is valuable, and for each precious moment invested you want to ensure the best possible return. If your body is not yet as lean or toned as you would like, it is likely that you are committing some key training mistakes. These errors can sabotage the efforts of even veteran exercisers. By learning about the most common fitness faux pas and their fixes, you will mistake-proof your exercise and see tremendous payoffs. Six of the biggest fitness faux pas are?
Faux Pas #1 Skipping Over Your Warm-up The Facts? Warming up prepares the body to work efficiently: longer, stronger and more safely. Skipping your warm-up may cause you to fatigue early, keeping you from realizing your full potential. Perhaps more importantly, warming up drastically decreases your chance of injury. The time spent in a warm up is much less than the time required to heal a muscle strain or joint injury.
Smart Fix? Invest 5-10 minutes in performing a toned-down version of your fitness activity or perhaps instead something like walking or cycling at an easy pace. Some gentle range-of-motion exercises are always encouraged. Save the deep stretching for after your workout.
How To Properly Check The Club Heads Of Second Swing Used Golf Club
April 18, 2008
Interested in Second Swing used golf club? No surprise there. Second Swing golf clubs are swiftly gaining popularity these days. And why not, they durable and with good quality. So with the rising demands I wrote this article on how to properly check the clubheads of Second Swing used golf clubs. This is vital task so you get a good quality and good performing Second Swing golf clubs for a fair price. Avoiding you regrets, saves you time and money.
First thing you check is the face wear of the Second Swing used golf club. You can easily tell if it’s been used for a long time because it will show a shiny worn spot in the center, avoid this at all cost. Owning such would be disastrous to you’re accuracy for that kind of clubface won’t hold the ball well.
Check the grooves of the Second Swing used golf club and makes sure the edges are still well defined.
Also avoid the Second Swing used clubs that show indentations in the clubface. This too will affect you’re accuracy greatly.
Octane Elliptical - Product Review
April 17, 2008
When buying a trainer it’s important to first figure out what you want, and what features will be most beneficial to your workouts. The Octane elliptical line has a large number of different trainers to suit a variety of different needs, and their models are divided into home and gym. The higher level trainers will be better suited to more serious exercisers, while some of the lower end models offer many of the same benefits for beginners.
Unlike most other fitness companies, Octane only makes elliptical trainers. Many gyms use Octane trainers because they swear by their high level of durability when being used by many different people each day. Octane ellipticals are definitely one of the higher end fitness products, with the price range being between $2199 and $3599.
Most of the Octane elliptical trainers are the same, with the only noticeable difference being that the Q35 and Q45 don’t have the wireless heart rate control. The Q35 has quick start, a quick change button so you can alter your workout at any time, five different course options, a virtual trainer to offer advice, and a cool down mode.
Burning Fat
April 17, 2008
The more muscle a person has, the greater their metabolism is, which equates to the faster they burn calories. However, resistance training to build muscle is only one part of the equation. The other parts are cardiovascular conditioning and healthy eating. A lot of men that I have encountered feel that weight training is the only thing they need to do in order to get in shape, but wonder why they can never achieve the definition that comes as a result of adding cardio conditioning and healthy eating. If you are not dedicating enough time to any one of these three elements, you will most likely not achieve the results you strive for. Having said that, this edition’s column is dedicated to the importance of cardiovascular conditioning for fat burning.
Once you reach your desired weight, you only need maintain it, which usually requires you do cardio about three times per week, every other day, for 20 minutes. However, if you are training for a sport, the frequency and duration will be much different. Assuming you are not training for a sport, you will need to put more into your cardio workouts until you reach your desired weight. Since fat is not your body’s first choice of fuel (carbohydrates are), you stand a better chance of tapping into your fat stores if you perform your cardio workouts first thing in the morning before eating. The duration of your workouts should be approximately 45 minutes, four or more days per week for maximum results in order to rid your body of excess fat.
Finish Your Round of Golf with Birdies
April 16, 2008
All the major tournaments, especially the U.S. Open and the PGA, are a true test of endurance. They are usually located in a part of the country where it is hot, humid and muggy. A real physical and mental drain on any golfer.
Look who has been winning the Majors in the last couple of years: Phil Mickelson, Tiger Woods and Vijay Singh. They have incredible endurance. It doesn’t come by accident. They work at it.
Endurance is a word that is commonly associated with athletes such as marathon runners, tri-athletes, swimmers, and cyclists.
Granted, the majority of amateurs use a cart to play. This takes the walking part of the game out of the equation. Bit when most golfers break down, it has more to do with the endurance of the swing muscles than the walking part.
Defeating Back Pain Forever
April 16, 2008
Back pain, one of the most common physical, and debilitating ailments today, affects 70% - 80% of us at one time or another in our lives. However, as a result of the obesity epidemic, that number continues to climb. So if you are suffering or have suffered from back pain, you are not alone!
Back pain suffers, resulting from wear and tear and the aging process, generally are over 40 years of age; but it is not uncommon for individuals in the 30’s to experience back challenges. The complex spine changes during aging at varying rates from individual to individual as determined by genetic factors, lifestyle choices, and prior injuries.
Just remember, the odds are in your favor that you will experience some sort of back pain in the future. So what do you do when that happens, and how do you prevent it from happening again? There lies two, seventy two million dollar questions.
First off, don’t panic! Over 95% of back pain does not require surgery, and will subside on its own anywhere from a couple of days to months. With the back, it is rather tricky to predict how quickly it will heal. Be patient, and keep positive!
